Rant on my cellphone service

Where do I start? I was almost nearing the end of my Rogers cellphone
contract a few years back when they came out with the latest (at the
time) BB. I wanted it, thinking that I would get it for the 'new
customer discounted price' but boy was I wrong! I had to talk to
retention and threaten to cancel (which I easily could have as I was
less than a month away from my contract ending) to get the new user
discount.

So number one concern: why are new users treated so much better than
consistent loyal "valued" customers? They get phones at a discounted
price, but if existing customers want that phone, we need to pay retail?

And number two: It's not fair that the 'deal' you get with Rogers
depends on how rude you can be to their CSR. A friend of mine has an
awesome deal on his rogers cellphone because he was able to bully the
customer support rep into setting it up for him. Whereas I am a total
push over, and I just can't, absolutely can't be rude to them, and I end
up with a crappy plan! I'm not grudging my friend his plan, but if
that is something that Rogers can afford to give us, I'd like to see
them play fair and let it be legally available for everyone. It's not a
bazar where bargaining is expected and the loudest biggest bargainer
wins. Is it?

So I foolishly sighed another 3yr contract just to get the phone (to my
defense, there wasn't other options out there at the time).

My home phone and Internet contract was at an end and Bell was offering a
much better deal (less than half of what I was paying with no contract
at all) so I opted to switch over. Rogers called me almost daily for
the first month trying to convince me to switch back, which I don't
blame them for, but nor did I switch back. However, here's something
confusing for you: Even though Bell took over my home phone from Rogers,
and even though I canceled my Rogers internet about 3 months ago, and
even though I returned ALL the equipment (including network and coaxial
cables timely, and have the receipt to prove it) , Rogers STILL BILLED
ME for both canceled services!! And here's the kicker: Since about 3
months ago (same time as I canceled the home phone and internet), I
stopped receiving any paper bills in my mail. So they would charge me
for items that are appearing canceled on their side, but they wouldn't
send me my usual bill by mail so I had no way of knowing that I had to
pay on canceled service!

For the past 3 months, every month I make it a practice to call Rogers
and see how much I owe them, then talk to a minimum of 3 customer reps
before I get transferred to a manager who then finds "gasp" they're
billing me for service that has been canceled on their end 3 months ago
(3 appears to be my lucky number with Rogers)! Each month I spent a
few hours on the phone sorting this out, them promising me it won't
happen again, only for it to ... happen again!!

I don't know when this cycle will end. I really don't have the time to
spend on average 2 - 3 hrs a month on the phone with Rogers (each time a
rep decides they can't help you, they transfer you back to the queue
where you again wait for someone to pick up, only to be transferred
again)!! But I don't want to have a so called bill accumulate behind my
back on canceled services either.

I find it too much of a coincidence that they had a system glitch that
prevented the bill to come to my address for the last few months, and at
the same time have been billing me for canceled services... I find it
hard to believe, and also very petty of such a big company.

I wouldn't wish Rogers on my worst enemy!

I wrote a review on this so others are aware before signing their life away on a contract, but I want to hear your about your experiences too...